Can't Go Back
by KaelynAnne
Summary: Twelve years ago, Jake thought he'd never see his daughter again. Now, she's back, demanding answers and uncovering longhidden secrets. What she finds changes her life forever and she can't ever go back to the way things were.
1. Series Preview

Disclaimer: I own Carly and Justin. All other characters belong to Mark Schwahn.

Author's Note: I won't post the first chapter for several weeks because I'm doing this like an actual television show but I would appreciate reviews.

Can't Go Back: Series Preview

Airing this fall, beginning Sep. 28

Twelve years ago, Jake Jagielski thought he'd never see his daughter again.

NOW, SHE'S BACK...

"I'm looking for Jake Jagielski."

"What's your name?"

"Jenny Knight."

DEMANDING ANSWERS...

"Why couldn't you be there for me?"

AND UNCOVERING LONG-HIDDEN SECRETS

"You have baby picture of me?" Haley nodded and looked at the girl beside her.

"Yeah, I do."

"What happened twelve years ago?"


	2. Seeking Answers

Disclaimer: I own Carly, Justin, and Austin. All other characters are property of Mark Schwahn.

Author's Note: Like I said in the series preview, this fic will get updated once a week because I'm doing this like an actual television show. Review and let me know what you think.

Can't Go Back

Episode 1: Seeking Answers

Twelve years ago

Jake Jagielski hung up the phone and sank into a chair. He couldn't believe that Nicki had custody of Jenny. On top of that, Nicki had disappeared and there was no record of a Nicki Simpson ever existing. There was a knock on the door and Haley James walked in. "Has anyone found her?"

"No. There's no record of her ever existing."

"She changed her name."

"We could try using Jenny's name." Haley shook her head, slipping her hand into his.

"Do you know how many Jenny's and Jennifer's there are?"

"I have to find her, Hales. She's my little girl."

"I know. I miss her too. I also know that if Nicki doesn't want to be found, she won't be."

"You're her mom. No matter what Nicki says, you're Jenny's mom." Haley's eyes filled with tears and she placed a soft kiss on Jake's cheek.

"I love you, do you know that?" Jake nodded and pulled his girlfriend into his lap.

"I love you, too." He brushed her tears away and she leaned back, snuggling into his chest.

"She'll come back, Jake. She'll have questions and she'll come back." The statement was quiet but true. The next time they saw Jenny, she would be demanding answers.

* * *

Madeleine Knight looked around her new apartment and smiled to herself. This was her second chance. She had custody of her two-year-old daughter and there was no way anyone could find her. She turned to look at Jenny, who was playing quietly with her toys, and her smile grew. Jenny was all hers now and no one could change that. She had tried doing things the easy way but Jake and Haley had refused. 

Jake had said that Haley was Jenny's mother and that had pissed Madeleine off. Yes, she had taken off when Jenny was only two-months-old, but she had been scared. She was ready now. Ready for her daughter. She had been ready for Jake as well. Jake, however, had moved on. Seeing Jake, Haley, and Jenny together had hurt her. Haley had taken her position and she wanted it back. She had shown up at Jake's door, demanding to see her daughter. Haley hadn't liked that. She had slammed the door in Madeleine's face and called Jake.

In the end, Madeleine had won and now she and Jenny were safe. It hurt that Jenny had called Haley Mommy, but that didn't matter now. Jenny was hers and hers alone. "Mommy." Madeleine smiled, it had taken three months, but she was Mommy now. She would love to see Haley's face now.

"What is it, baby girl?"

"Firsty."

* * *

Twelve years later- September 2006 

Haley Jagielski was folding laundry when the doorbell rang. She stood up and moved to the front door, surprised to find a young girl with dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Jake Jagielski."

"You've got the right place but Jake isn't here right now. You can come in and wait."

"Thank you."

"What's your name?" Haley asked as she shut the door, behind the younger girl.

"Jenny Knight." Haley froze and looked at Jenny. Her hair had darkened to a bronzy-blonde color, but Haley would recognize those eyes anywhere, Jake's eyes. It was her.

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen." Haley nodded and ran a hand through her hair. Jenny was even more beautiful than she could have imagined.

"Jake should be back soon." Jenny nodded and an awkward silence fell between them.

"You're sure you don't mind me being here?"

"No, not at all. Make yourself comfortable. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." Jenny nodded and moved to the couch, placing her bags on the ground beside her. Haley had only taken two steps toward the kitchen when a little girl with caramel brown hair ran down the stairs and skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Up, Mommy," three-year-old Carly demanded. Haley smiled and picked her daughter up.

"What's up, baby girl?" Jenny smiled as she watched the interaction between them.

"Hungry."

"You can't wait until dinner?" Carly shook her head and widened her emerald green eyes.

"Hungry now. Uncle Nate gave me popcorn for lunch." Haley smiled and rolled her eyes, she should have expected that. Nathan was a total pushover for Carly's baby girl eyes. It was something he'd have to work on before the arrival of the twins that he and Peyton were expecting in March.

"How about a snack? Daddy should be home in a few minutes and dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes." Carly nodded, taking what she could get. Haley laughed and kissed the top of her daughter's head before turning to Jenny. "Do you want anything?"

"No, thank you." Haley smiled then disappeared into the kitchen. She had just gotten Carly settled with Goldfish crackers and lemonade when Jake came into the kitchen.

"Daddy!" Jake smiled and kissed the top of Carly's head and stealing some of her Goldfish before placing a kiss on Haley's cheek.

"Hey, how are my girls?" Haley smiled and placed a quick on his lips.

"We're good. We've got company." Since he'd come in through the kitchen door, he hadn't seen anyone and he wondered who it could be.

"Who?"

"Jenny."

"Who's Jenny?" Carly asked.

"You remember. She's your sister. Mommy and Daddy told you about her," Haley explained. Carly nodded before returning to her snack. She was still too young to understand exactly what was going on.

"How long has she been here?"

"About ten minutes." Jake pulled Haley to him, taking in her scent. They had both known that this day was coming but now that it was here, they were terrified. "Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Haley picked Carly up and the three of them walked to the living room, Jake's arm holding Haley to his side. Jenny looked up as soon as they entered the living room and met Jake's eyes briefly before looking away.

"You can do this," Haley whispered. Jake looked down at her and smiled. He didn't know what he would do without this woman. She was amazing and he was lucky to have her. She provided a constant source of strength and right now, he needed that.

Carly sat contentedly in Haley's arms, looking intently at Jenny. Haley held Carly close, feeling the little girl's heart beat next to hers. It made her feel calm and relaxed.

What had Nicki told Jenny? Did she know where Jenny was? If Jenny wanted to stay with them, would Nicki take her away again? Would Jenny hate them? Questions and possibilities raced through Haley's mind. She hoped with all of her heart that they could make things work.

Jenny looked at Haley and Jake and the little girl in Haley's arms. Her half-sister she guessed. She was a beautiful little girl, a combination of Haley and Jake. Jake. Her father. The reason she was here. She had been looking at pictures when she found one of him. All her mom had told her was that his name was Jake Jagielski, he was her father, and he hadn't wanted her.

* * *

"So, Jenny's back?" Nathan asked. Haley nodded. 

"Yeah and Nicki completely twisted everything around. She made Jake look like the bad guy."

"I know Nicki's a bitch, but if she honestly loved Jake, she wouldn't have done this to him," Brooke said.

"I know. We knew this would happen one day, but she's so angry. It's so much harder than I thought it would be." Peyton nodded and placed a comforting hand on Haley's arm.

"You'll be okay. You guys will figure everything out. Jenny just needs some time. She grew up with Nicki and that couldn't have been easy."

"God, I just hate seeing Jake hurt like this. I wish there was something I could do but there's not."

"What about you? This has got to be hard on you, too," Lucas said.

"It is. I look at her and I see a little girl with dark blonde hair that called me Mommy and then I see who she really is and how much damage Nicki has done and it hurts. Nicki got exactly what she wanted. Jenny hates Jake." Peyton and Brooke stood up and enveloped Haley in a hug.

"It'll be okay, Hales," Brooke whispered into Haley's hair. Haley smiled sadly as tears slid down her cheeks.

"I wish it was that easy. Everything is so messed up." Brooke looked at her five-month-old son, sleeping in his carrier, and her own eyes filled with tears. She couldn't imagine putting Justin and Lucas through that. They meant everything to her and even if Lucas broke her heart she couldn't make their son hate him.

"Some people shouldn't be allowed to have children." Haley laughed and wrapped her arms around Brooke.

"That's the truth."

"So, where are Jake and Jenny?" Nathan questioned.

"At home. Jenny's obviously going to be staying for a while so Jake is helping her unpack in one of the guest rooms." When she and Carly had left, they'd been talking about Jake's basketball career. It wasn't a meaningful conversation as far as fixing their severely damaged relationship went but at least they were talking. Haley looked over at Carly to make sure she was okay and smiled when she saw the little girl coloring contentedly in one of the coloring books that Nathan and Peyton kept for her at their house.

"Have you heard from Nicki yet?" Peyton asked.

"No, but I'm guessing that phone call's coming soon and it's one that I'm definitely not looking forward to." Brooke and Peyton finally released Haley but stayed beside her.

"Is there anything you need us to do?" Nathan asked. Haley smiled, this was why she loved her friends. They were always there for her, willing to do anything for her and she would do the same for her.

"Actually, could you guys come to dinner tomorrow night? We want Jenny to get to know everyone and I think this is the best way to do it. Just include her in something normal and try to make her feel welcome." They all agreed quickly and Haley smiled in thanks.

* * *

"How do you like Charleston, Jenny?" Brooke asked. 

"It seems like a nice place. Everyone's been really nice." They'd had a really nice dinner. There had been a few awkward pauses but overall, it had been nice. Normal and Jenny had been included in everything. It was exactly what Haley had hope for. Still, she got the feeling that Jenny's anger was growing and she was looking for an outlet.

"When do you start school?" Peyton asked.

"Haley's taking me to register Monday." They didn't know how long Jenny was staying but she and Haley had both agreed that education was important. They'd already called her previous high school and withdrawn her and all Jenny had to do was pick her classes.

They continued talking through dessert and once they were finished, Brooke, Peyton, Lucas, and Nathan moved to the living room with Carly and Justin while Jake, Haley, and Jenny stayed behind to clear the table. That was when Jake asked the question that pushed Jenny over the edge. "What do you think about Carly?"

Jenny tensed and Haley immediately noticed but hoped that it wouldn't lead to an all-out confrontation. It was a natural question and Jenny's reaction was natural as well considering what she had been told about Jake. "She seems like a great kid. How come you couldn't be there for me like you are for her?"

"I was there for you, Jenny. I loved you. I still love you." Jenny shook her head, her mom had told this might happen. Jake would try to make it seem like he was the good parent. She couldn't believe that he'd actually tried it.

"Mom told me you would say that." Jake ground his teeth in frustration and Haley stood back, letting relieve some of the tension that had built between them. Jake knew that he had walked straight into this by asking Jenny what she thought about his sister. He had tried for a neutral topic of conversation but it obviously hadn't worked.

"Jenny, your mom says a lot of things but that doesn't mean they're true."

"How would you know? At least she was there for me. That's more than I can say about you." Jake was silent. He didn't know how to respond to that. "Tell your friends I had a nice time. I'm going to bed." Jenny turned and ran from the kitchen. Jake silently cursed and ran a hand through his hair.

"She's mad at me for choosing Carly over her." Haley shook her head as she moved to stand in front of her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"You didn't choose Carly over Jenny. Nicki took Jenny away and we couldn't find her. In her mind, she has every right to be angry with you. She doesn't know the truth but she will. Baby, it will get easier." He sighed and rested his chin on her head.

"I hope so. Haley, I don't know what to do." She pulled back slightly and looked up at him, reaching up to brush her hand against his cheek.

"You'll figure it out. We all will." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her.

"I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you." She smiled and reached up, placing a quick kiss on his lips.

"I love you, too." He captured her lips in another kiss just as Brooke came in.

"Oh, sorry." Haley giggled and turned to face her best friend.

"Hey, I was just coming to see if everything was okay. We kind of heard the argument."

"Yeah, we're okay. Just more of the backlash from Nicki's brainwashing," Haley explained.

"Okay, well, we're going to go." Haley nodded and she and Jake hugged Brooke.

"Tell everyone we said bye." Brooke smiled as she left the kitchen, understanding that they needed to be alone. To know that they had each other.

* * *

Jenny sat in her room, thinking about what Jake had said. Was he telling the truth about her mom? She wanted to believe Jake but he had abandoned her. Then again, her mom had lied about her real name. She had been nine at the time. 

Madeleine kept their pictures in photo albums labeled by year. Jenny had been looking through one of them when a picture fell out. It had been one of Jake and her mom. She had flipped it over and seen two names. Jake and Nicki.

When she asked about it, Madeleine had explained. That was one of the reasons she was here. She also wanted to find out why Jake had abandoned her and ask Haley about the letter she had found in a box of her baby clothes in San Dimas.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in." Haley smiled as she came into the room.

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Jenny offered a smile but Haley could tell that it wasn't real. "Jenny, you don't have to pretend with me."

"I'm confused. I know that Jake is my father but I don't understand why he didn't want me or even if that's the truth. Mom told me so many lies that I don't know what to believe anymore. I don't even know if Jenny is my real name." Haley smiled, resisting the urge to play with Jenny's hair like she had when Jenny was a baby.

"It is. You've been Jenny since the day you were born. That's one thing that you weren't lied to about." Jenny sighed and without warning, rested her head on Haley's shoulder, taking her by surprise. A trusting gesture so early on in the mess that they were obviously entering was surprising to both of them.

"Is it wrong that I trust you more than Jake even though I don't know either one of you?" Haley laughed, running her hands through Jenny's dark hair despite her doubts.

"No. I can't explain it but I don't think it's wrong."

"I'm sorry about dinner tonight. I didn't mean to snap like that but everything just sort of built up and then Jake asked me about Carly and it kind of pushed me over the edge."

"I understand. This would be overwhelming for an adult but I can't imagine being fourteen and going through it. High school's hard enough as it is." Jenny laughed but Haley heard the sadness in the sound.

"God, everything is so messed up. I don't know what to believe anymore. I don't know who I am anymore."

"You'll figure it out. It may take a while but you'll figure it out." Jenny laughed tiredly and Haley kissed the top of her head.

"I'm going to take a nice, long, hot bath." Haley smiled as she stood up.

"Okay, Jake and I are just down the hall if you need us." She got to the door then turned around. "There's some bubble bath, scented candles, and bath oils under the sink."

"Thanks, Haley." Haley nodded before closing the door behind her and walking down the hall toward the room she and Jake shared.

* * *

Monday morning, Jake and Jenny were sitting at the kitchen table, talking as they ate breakfast. It wasn't about anything big and it wouldn't fix their relationship but it was a start. One that they both needed and wanted. "What was California like?" 

"It was really nice. It's beautiful there all the time, even in the winter. I love it." Jake nodded, that was the same way he felt about Charleston.

"Sounds like you miss it."

"I miss the weather and my friends yes but my mom? Not so much." She didn't want to go into detail right now because she barely knew Jake and she still wasn't sure she trusted him but she wanted him to know that she was in no hurry to get back to California.

"Bad relationship?" Jake didn't want to push but he was curious. He'd always wondered what kind of mom Nicki was but he could wait until Jenny was ready to talk to him. He would do this on her terms.

"Something like that. I wasn't unhappy but I definitely could have been happier. So, I'm sorry about dinner the other night. I know that you didn't choose Carly over me. It's just going to take some time for me to trust you."

"I know. You didn't have to apologize. I get that you're angry and I'll give you all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere, Jenny. I'll be here if you need anything." Jenny nodded and reached out to place her hand in Jake's but hesitated then pulled back. "It's okay. Take your time." She nodded and met his eyes for the first time since she'd gotten to Charleston.

"I want to trust you. I just-I want you to know that."

"I do know that." Jenny held Jake's gaze for several more seconds then broke it and looked down, confused by the sudden rush of emotions that she felt.

"Hey, you guys okay?" Haley asked, coming into the kitchen with Carly.

"Yeah, we were just talking," Jenny answered. Haley smiled as she put Carly in her high chair.

"Is it okay if I join you?"

"Yeah."

"Do you need me to take Carly to daycare?" Jake asked.

"No, I've got it. Can you pick her up, though? Jenny and I are going shopping after school and it will be a lot easier without Carly."

"I like shopping." Haley smiled and ruffled Carly's hair playfully.

"I know you do, baby, but you'll be tired by the time we're ready to go to the mall."

"'kay."

"I have to go. I'll see you girls later."

"Bye, Daddy." Jake smiled and kissed the top of Carly's head. Haley and Jenny simply waved as he left, already engrossed in a conversation about what they had to that morning. He was glad that even if Jenny couldn't trust him yet, she could trust Haley.

* * *

Jenny let out a shaky breath, gripping her schedule tightly as she and Haley stepped out of the office. She shouldn't be nervous but she was. Besides the fact that it was her first year of high school, it was her first day at a new school. "You'll be okay," Haley assured. 

"I'm nervous." Haley smiled and placed a reassuring hand on the younger girl's arm.

"It'll be okay. You'll do great. Just be yourself." Jenny shook her head, it wasn't that easy. She wished it was, but it wasn't.

"I don't know who that is anymore."

"You'll figure it out. Just relax and you'll be fine."

"Haley, I can't do this."

"Yes, you can. Look, just go to your first three classes and if you still feel that way, call me and I'll come get you." Jenny nodded.

"Okay." Haley smiled and hugged her.

"Okay. You'll be fine. I promise, Jen." Jenny nodded again and watched Haley leave before looking down at her schedule. She started down the hall, looking for her first class.

"You look like you're a little lost." Jenny looked up in surprise. She hadn't been expecting to meet anyone. All she wanted was to get through the day in one piece and now there was a very cute boy offering to help her out.

"Try very lost. I have no idea where I'm supposed to go." He laughed and took her schedule from her.

"Jennifer?" he asked, seeing her name at the top of the paper.

"It's Jenny." He smiled, his brown eyes sparkling as he looked down at her schedule.

"It's nice to meet you, Jenny. I'm Austin Kinkirk." He looked at her classes, thoroughly impressed.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I'm just surprised that a freshmen is taking classes like these." Jenny rolled her eyes and took her schedule from him, continuing down the hall. She had enough going on in her life without being questioned about the classes she was taking. Austin laughed and took a couple of steps to keep up with here.

"Jenny."

"Look, I've got enough going on without you laughing at me."

"Jenny, I wasn't laughing. I was just impressed that you're taking those classes. Not many freshmen take advanced classes. Not many students in my grade take advanced classes." Jenny stopped and looked up at him, realizing that she didn't know how old he was or what grade he was in.

"What grade are you in?"

"I'm a junior and I'm sixteen."

"I'm sorry for acting like a bitch, it's just that my life is kind of a mess right now." He smiled but didn't ask questions and Jenny liked that. Liked that he respected her privacy.

"It's okay. By the way, you're going the wrong way. Honors English is that way." He pointed the way they had come from and Jenny blushed.

"I feel like an idiot."

"You shouldn't. It took me three weeks to learn where all of my classes were," he admitted as they turned right and started up a flight of stairs.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah and I don't admit that to just anyone." Jenny smiled as they stopped in front of a classroom.

"This is your classroom. If you want, I can meet you here after class is over and help you find your next class."

"I would like that."

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you." Jenny smiled as she watched Austin walk away. Maybe moving to Charleston could have more than one reward.

* * *

"Hey, how was school?" Jake asked, standing in the doorway of Jenny's room. 

"It was good. I met a lot of people." Jake smiled, glad that Jenny seemed to be adjusting well.

"That's good. Any guys?" Jenny looked up in surprise, trying to see whether or not her dad was upset by the idea. When she saw the smile he was trying to hide, she laughed.

"Maybe." It was nice to be able to joke with him but she wanted more out of their relationship. She knew that would come with time but sometimes she didn't want to wait for it.

"I'll take that as a yes. How much damage did you and Haley do at the mall?"

"Not much." Jake looked at her skeptically. He knew Haley had been raised to be careful with money but Jenny had always been her baby girl and he knew that Jenny was a teenage girl.

"Okay, maybe we went a little crazy but we didn't buy out any stores."

"I bet you came close."

"Yeah, but it was fun. I really like her, Jake."

"I'm glad. So, tell me more about these boys you met." Jenny groaned playfully and hesitated in her response. For a second, the urge to call him Dad played strongly in her mind, but she resisted it. That was a big step and she wasn't ready for it. She still didn't know what had really happened twelve years ago.

"They're just friends. I don't want a boyfriend yet." That was true but there was something about Austin that made her think maybe they would be something more than friends one day. She wasn't sure though. He was two years older than she was and she was still trying to figure things out with Jake.

"That's good." Jenny laughed and ran a finger nervously along the edge of her keyboard. She wasn't sure she wanted to do this but if she and Jake wanted to fix their relationship then they had to meet each other halfway.

"I don't know your training schedule but if you've got some free time this weekend, I was thinking that we could do something together." Jake smiled, glad that Jenny wanted to get to know him.

"That would be nice. Any ideas?" Jenny shook her head and he laughed. "Okay, I'll think of something and get back to you."

"Okay. Hey, Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for letting me stay here. I know you're afraid of what my mom's going to do when she finds out but it means a lot to me." Jake smiled and stepped into the room to hug.

"I would do anything for you, Jenny. You need to know that. You're my daughter and I don't love you any less than I love Carly." She nodded, she knew that now. It was hard to accept because she hadn't grown up with him, but she knew that he loved her.

"I know. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Do you want to help me make dinner?" Jenny nodded as she stood up.

"Yeah. What are we making?" Jake smiled as they left her room and headed down the hallway for the stairs.

"What do you want?"

"Chicken and rice."

"Chicken and rice it is."

* * *

Wednesday afternoon, Jenny was walking across the courtyard when Austin caught up with her. "Jenny, hey." She slowed down so he could walk with her and couldn't help the smile that came to her face. 

"Hey, do you always chase down people you've just met?"

"Only the really pretty girls." Jenny blushed and he laughed.

"I'm teasing even though you are pretty. I like seeing you at school but I was wondering if you wanted to do something outside of school today?"

"I wish I could but I have to watch my half-sister. Her parents are working late." As much as she loved spending time with Carly, she really wanted to get to know Austin better. "Let me call Haley and see if she minds you coming over."

Twenty minutes later, Jenny and Austin were sitting at the kitchen table while Carly was in the living room, playing quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Why did you decide to move to Charleston now?" Jenny sighed, she should have known that Austin would ask sooner or later. Sure, she was making friends but she and Austin were already getting close.

"It's a long story and I don't really like talking about it. At least, not right now." He nodded, not wanting to push her. He really liked her and he already valued her friendship.

"It's okay. You can talk to me when you're ready." She looked up from her English book and smiled at him.

"I like that."

"Like what?"

"That you don't want to push me for an answer. Most people would."

"Well, I'm not most people."

"I'm figuring that out." Austin laughed and Jenny stuck her tongue out. "Are you laughing at me?"

"No."

"Yes, you are."

"Okay, I am."

"You've known me for three days and you're already laughing at me?"

"It's not a bad thing. I promise." Jenny shook her head but she couldn't help laughing as well. Why she didn't know, but Austin's laughter was infectious.

* * *

Saturday morning, Haley was looking at baby pictures of Jenny. She hadn't looked at them in years but with everything that was going on right now, she needed to look at them. She needed to remember how easy things had been when Jenny was a baby. How good things had been. 

She and Jake had been happy and even though they had only been in high school, it had felt like things were falling into place. They'd found that happiness again but it had always felt like something was missing. Jenny came downstairs then and Haley looked up, smiling when she saw her.

"Hey, do you want breakfast?" Jenny shook her head and sat down beside Haley.

"No, I'm not really hungry. What are you looking at?"

"Baby pictures of you."

"You have baby pictures of me?" Haley nodded and looked at the girl beside her.

"Yeah, I do. You can look at them with me."

"I would like that." Two seconds later, realization hit Jenny.

"If you have baby pictures of me then that means Jake was telling the truth." Haley had known that eventually Jenny would figure out that Nicki had been lying to her and that when she did things would get a lot more complicated. Things had been hard for the past week and a half but they were about to get a lot harder.

"Jenny, I don't want to play Nicki's game, but she's not the person you think she is. There's a lot you don't know about her."

"Madeleine."

"What?" Jenny knew that this would be an emotional conversation but she needed to do it. There was a lot she didn't know about her mom, a lot she wanted to know.

"She changed her to name to Madeleine Knight." Haley nodded, she and Jake had figured that out twelve years ago but now didn't seem like the right time to bring that up. "What happened twelve years ago?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes, I need to know. How old was I when Mom took me?"

"You were a month shy of being two."

"God, so it really has been twelve years."

"Next week." Jenny looked at Haley in surprise. She hadn't expected her to keep up with the exact day for twelve years. "You were my baby. The first time I saw you, you were six-months-old. After that, I watched you almost every day. Five months later, your dad and I went on our first date. You've always been my daughter, Jenny. That never changed. Not even when I had Carly."

"You really loved me, didn't you?" Haley shook her head, wanting Jenny to know that she still loved her.

"No." Jenny looked up in surprise, she hadn't been expecting that.

"I never stopped loving you, Jenny. When Madeleine got custody of you, I thought my life would never get better but I was wrong. Every day the pain got a little bit better but I never forgot you and neither did Jake or any of our friends. You've always had a place in our hearts and you always will." Jenny threw her arms around Haley's neck, feeling like things would really be okay.

"I love you." Haley smiled and wrapped her arms around Jenny.

"I love you, too, baby girl." Jenny smiled and after kissing Haley's cheek, pulled back and brushed the tears off her cheeks.

"Tell me about how Madeleine got custody of me." She'd made a start, now she needed the whole story before she made her decision. She hoped Jake would be up soon so he could fill her in as well.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" Jenny shook her head. She wasn't sure about anything anymore and that scared her but she needed to do this.

"No, but I need to hear it."

"Jenny, we don't have to do this all at once. If you want, we can wait for Jake to wake up."

"No, I need to do this now before I change my mind. If Jake wakes up, he can tell me what he knows and if he doesn't then I'll talk to him later." Haley smiled and kissed Jenny's forehead before she filled Jenny in on everything that happened in Tree Hill.

* * *

Next week on Can't Go Back: 

TENSION RISES . . .

"Why didn't you look for me?"

"We did."

"Obviously not very well."

RELATIONSHIPS ARE FORMED . . .

"I wish you could have been my mom." Haley sighed and pulled Jenny into a hug.

"I was for a little while. Even when Madeleine left with you, I still thought of you as my daughter."

"Can I be?"

AND DECISIONS ARE MADE . . .

"I want to stay in Charleston."

"Jenny, are you sure?"

"Yes. I like it here. I like living with you and Haley."


	3. Watch It Unfold

Disclaimer: I own Carly, Justin, Austin, Mitch, Paige, and any minor characters that decide to make an appearance. All other characters belong to Mark Schwahn.

Author's Note: I'm really glad that everyone likes this series. I'm also really sorry about not updating. I know that I promised weekly updates, but I got swamped by college. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up over the next month and be back on track for the second half of the season.

Can't Go Back

Episode 2: Watch It Unfold

Jenny sat at the kitchen table, folding and unfolding the paper towel that she had used during lunch. What little of it she had eaten anyway. Jake sat across from her, just as uncomfortable as she was. After breakfast, Haley had taken Carly out for the day, leaving Jake and Jenny alone so that he could fill in the missing parts of Haley's story.

They'd had lunch together in an awkward, uncomfortable silence but now there was nothing left to do except talk and they both knew it. "Why didn't you look for me?"

"We did."

"Obviously not very well. If you really love me as much as you say you do then you would have found me."

"Jenny, it's not like that."

"Then explain it to me. Because I'm trying to understand but I don't. Why didn't you fight for me?"

"We couldn't find you because your mom changed her name and we didn't know what she changed it to know until you told Haley this morning."

"That doesn't answer my second question." She knew she was being difficult but she didn't care, she needed to hear this. Needed to hear why Jake hadn't fought for her when he claimed to love her so much.

"We did fight for you, Jenny. We spent six months in and out of court. Madeleine lied to get custody of you and then there was nothing we could do. By the time the court figured out that she had lied, she had already changed her name and no one could find her." Jenny nodded, her anger suddenly gone. She couldn't be mad at him for trying to find her. "Jenny?"

"I'm not mad. I can't be. You tried to find me, you fought to keep me, that's all I needed to hear but it's still going to take a while for us to fix things."

"I know. Tell me what you're feeling right now."

"Hurt, confused, angry. I can't believe Madeleine lied to me about you." Jenny was quiet for several minutes, trying to figure everything out. "It makes sense now."

"What does?"

"Everything. The way she talked about you, the way she made sure that I would hate you. It's like she planned this day." Jake nodded, that thought had been in his mind all along, but he hadn't wanted to say anything. He'd wanted to let Jenny come to that conclusion on her own.

"It doesn't matter anymore. When she shows up, we'll deal with it, but until then, it doesn't matter."

"Thank you." Jake looked at his daughter curiously. He hadn't been expecting that.

"For what?"

"For being so patient. I've been really difficult the last two weeks but you never once lost your temper and that means a lot to me." Jake smiled and hugged her.

"You're my daughter and you were acting on what you'd been taught, I could never be mad at you for that."

"I know and it's still going to be a while before I really trust you, but I'm willing to work on it."

"So am I." Jenny pulled back and offered Jake a watery smile.

"Promise me that you'll never leave me again. I can't do this a second time. It was hard enough this time and I can't do it again. Jake, I need you to promise me." Jenny was sobbing now, her small body shaking from the force of those sobs and Jake pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"Shh, baby girl, it's okay. I promise I'll never leave you. I'll always be here." More sobs racked Jenny's body and Jake held her tighter as his own tears fell. In that moment, Jake knew that everything would be okay but he was also reminded of the day they had lost Jenny twelve years ago. It had been a scene very similar to this one the only difference was that this time, he didn't feel like his heart was breaking. This was a second chance and he was going to take full advantage of it.

* * *

"So, you seem like you're in a better mood," Austin commented as he and Jenny returned to their table at Cracker Barrel.

"I am."

"Feel like sharing?" Jenny smiled as they sat down and opened their menus. She hadn't told anyone about why she had really moved to Charleston but she really trusted Austin and she wanted to talk about it with someone.

"It's a long story. Are you up for it?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't. You can trust me, Jenny." She nodded, she'd known that from the first time she met him.

"I know." Before Jenny could start talking, the waitress came over to take their drink orders. When she left, Jenny took a deep breath, trying to get control of her emotions. This morning had been emotional enough and she really didn't want to make a scene in a public place. Austin reached across the table, placing his hand over hers and offering a smile.

"You don't have to tell me."

"No, I want to. It's just kind of . . . emotional." Austin smiled and gave her hand a squeeze before pulling it back to his side of the table.

"I promise I won't laugh if you cry." Jenny laughed and it relieved some of the tension that she was feeling.

"Thanks, that makes me feel good."

"It was supposed to." Jenny laughed and began explaining, pausing only when their waitress took their orders and then delivered them. "Wow."

"Tell me about it. Jake and I finally got everything out in the open this morning and he told me the truth about Madeleine and what really happened twelve years ago."

"You've been through a lot in the last two weeks. I'm not sure I could have lived through that without going crazy." Jenny laughed and took a drink of her iced tea. It felt really good to talk about this with someone who wasn't directly involved.

"There were times that I thought I was going to, believe me, but I had a lot of help. Jake and Haley have been really great and so have all of their friends."

"Sounds like you've got a new family."

"I do and I love it. I never had that when I lived with my mom. She wasn't a bad mom, she just wasn't always the best mom that she could have been. Lying was a big theme."

"So, how long are you staying?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about it. It kind of depends on my mom and what she does." Jenny didn't admit that she really wanted to stay in Charleston. She wasn't sure yet that she would go through with it. If she decided to, they'd have to go to court and Jenny wasn't sure that she wanted to put everyone through that. She wasn't sure she wanted to go through that.

"You said Jake and all of his friends were from Tree Hill, right?"

"Yeah, we actually went last weekend and I got to meet Karen, Keith, and Deb."

"We'll have to go one weekend. You can show me around and introduce me to everyone." Jenny smiled, glad that Austin had changed the subject.

"Maybe fall break if I'm still here." That one sentence told Austin everything that Jenny was feeling and he wished that there was something he could do.

"Hey, let's get out of here."

"And go where?" Austin shrugged, he hadn't really thought about it, he just wanted Jenny to be happy.

"You choose. Anywhere you want to go, we'll go." Jenny laughed as they stood up and Austin put money on the table.

"Do you do this for all of your friends?"

"Only the ones that need cheering up. And you definitely need cheering up."

"I'll agree with that. These last two weeks have been an emotional roller coaster and I know it's only going to get worse when my mom enters the picture."

"That's why you're not going to think about any of that today."

"I'm not?"

"No, you're not. Now, where do you want to go?" Austin's attempt at being serious failed when he smiled and Jenny giggled.

"Let's go bowling."

"Okay, bowling it is."

* * *

"You and Jenny got things worked out?" Lucas asked as he, Nathan, and Jake set up for a game in Nathan's backyard.

"I wouldn't say worked out but she knows the truth."

"Well, that's something. At least she doesn't hate you anymore," Nathan said.

"No, but she doesn't trust me. I almost prefer her hating me again if that's the trade-off." Jake passed the ball to Lucas as he thought back to his conversation with Jenny that morning.

"Give her some time, man. She'll come around. She's fourteen. You remember how hard things were when you were that age. Besides, she's been through more than most kids her age and it's not over yet," Nathan said.

"Thanks for reminding me," Jake laughed. He really wasn't looking forward to dealing with Madeleine but then, none of them really were.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I'll have to face it eventually. We all will. I just don't want to think about it right now."

"Understandable. Are you and Haley doing anything this weekend?" Lucas asked.

"No, Jenny and I made plans."

"That's cool. What are you doing?" Nathan asked.

"We're not sure yet. When she gets back, we're going to figure something out."

"Where is she?"

"She met up with a friend for lunch."

"A friend? You didn't get any more details?" Nathan questioned.

"Hey, I'm just glad she's talking to me. I'm not going to let her run wild but if she wants to have lunch, I'm not going to stop her."

"I was talking about a boyfriend."

"Nate, she's been here for two weeks. I doubt she already has a boyfriend and if she did, she would have mentioned something about one. If not to me then to Haley." Lucas shook his head, laughing as he passed the ball to Nathan.

"Do you remember being in high school? She won't talk about anything like that with her dad and she and Haley aren't that close yet. Besides, Haley said you and Jenny were having lunch together."

"She didn't eat much. Maybe not but I know she doesn't have a boyfriend. She told me she didn't want one yet especially not right now with everything that's going on."

"Now that's believable." Jake laughed and stole the ball from Nathan.

"Come on. Let's play."

* * *

Jenny giggled as Jake's ball missed the center hole on his Skee-ball lane. He turned and glared at his daughter. "Let's see you do better." Jenny smiled and picked up one of the brown balls that was in her lane.

"Easy." She rolled the ball and went straight into the center hole.

"I'm impressed."

"Mitch taught me how to play."

"Who's Mitch?"

"This guy that Mom dated when I was nine. He's the only that ever treated me like I was an actual person. Even after they broke up, he'd still come over several times a week and take me out. We'd go to the movies, or the arcade, it was something different every time."

"He sounds like a nice guy."

"He is. We still talk and he's the only one of Mom's boyfriends that I've ever liked."

"I'm glad he took care of you." Jenny smiled, she was too. Madeleine had never been great at being a mom and while Jenny had always been able to take of herself and her mom, she'd needed someone to look to for guidance and Mitch Collins had fit that role perfectly. In a sense, he'd been her dad for the last five years.

"So am I, but I'm glad I have you. When I left to find you, Mitch was planning to propose to his girlfriend. It wouldn't have been fair for him to put his life on hold for me."

"He would have done that for you?" Jake was amazed that this man would have forgone his own happiness for Jenny. Not that he wouldn't have, but he was actually Jenny's father, it was completely different.

"Yeah, he would have. The first time he met Paige it was obvious that they like each other, but he wasn't going to ask her out until I convinced him too."

"You know, you're the reason your- Haley and I started dating." He had almost called Haley Jenny's mom and they both knew it. As far as Jake was concerned Haley was Jenny's mom, but Jenny wasn't ready to hear it yet and Jake didn't want to push anything on her, especially since they'd finally gotten everything worked out.

"It's okay for you to call her my mom. I may not be ready to yet, but that doesn't mean you have to stop doing it." Jake smiled and kissed the top of his daughter's head. She'd lived with Nicki for twelve years and had by some miracle turned out to be an amazing kid.

"So, who's Austin?"

"This guy I met at school. He helped me find all of my classes my first day there and we just kind of clicked. He's a junior."

"No boyfriends?"

"No boyfriends. I'm not looking and I don't want one right now." Jake breathed a sigh of relief and Jenny giggled. "Jake, I'm fourteen not four. I may not want a boyfriend but that doesn't mean I don't like looking at boys."

"New subject please." Jenny laughed and decided give her dad a break.

"Tell me about you and Haley."

* * *

"How was the rest of your weekend?" Austin asked Monday morning as he and Jenny walked to their next class.

"It was really nice. Jake and I have a lot in common."

"Well, he is your dad."

"Yeah, but we don't know each other and I grew up with Madeleine, who isn't exactly a model parent."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah. So, what did you do with the rest of your weekend?"

"I met up with some friends and we went to the batting cages."

"That sounds like fun." Austin looked at her curiously and she blushed.

"What?"

"I've never met a girl like you. It's like you're not afraid to be yourself."

"I'm not."

"Then maybe you can come with us next time. They already like you."

"Maybe I will come with you." Austin smiled and handed Jenny's books to her as they reached her class. "Thank you. You know, you don't have to do this every day.

"I know, but I like it. Besides my third period class is two rooms down from your's."

"Oh, I see. It's all about convenience. I feel so special."

"You should. You are special, Jenny."

"Okay, I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment." Austin laughed and pulled her against his side.

"It's a compliment. Trust me. I know that we've only known each other for three weeks and we're just friends, but your friendship is special to me and more than that, you're special to me." Jenny smiled and hugged Austin before stepping back.

"That means a lot to me. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'll see you after this class?"

"As usual."

"Hey, what are you doing after practice?" David asked as he took Jenny's place walking beside Austin.

"Some of us are going out for pizza."

"So, you're not hanging out with the new girl?"

"Her name's Jenny and no. She has to baby-sit and she has a test to study for. Why?"

"Some of the guys on the basketball team are starting to think you two are dating."

"Jenny and I are friends. Neither one of us is looking for a relationship right now."

"Are you sure? Because that's not what it looks like."

"Yes, I'm sure. Now let's get to class before we're late." Austin smiled to himself as they entered the classroom. It still amazed him how quickly rumors started and circulated in high school. He and Jenny walked to her classes together and hung out together after school two or three days a week, but they'd never given any indication that they were anything more than friends.

* * *

"Apparently Austin and I are dating," Jenny said as she joined her friends at their usual lunch table. She took a sip of her lemonade and rolled her eyes when she saw her friends smile.

"You do spend a lot of time together," Valerie pointed out.

"That doesn't mean we're dating. We're just friends hanging out together."

"It does look like the two of you are dating. I mean, you've been here three weeks and Austin's the only guy you spend time with," Natalie said.

"I met him my first day here and we just clicked. There's nothing between us except friendship. Now can we please talk about something else. I've had people asking me about my supposed relationship with Austin all morning."

"I was talking to Michael Summers and he said that he wants to go out with you," Kim said. Jenny groaned and shook her head.

"I don't want a boyfriend right now. I've got too much going on."

"You wouldn't even go on one date with him?" Valerie questioned.

"No. Look, I'm just not interested in having a boyfriend right now. I just moved here and like I said, I've got a lot going on right now."

"What do you have going on?" Shane asked, sitting down beside Valerie.

"I don't want to talk about it here. Can we meet somewhere this weekend?"

"What's going on this weekend?" Evan asked as he and Sam sat down beside their girlfriends.

"We're all meeting somewhere Saturday morning and Jenny's finally going to tell us what's going on," Natalie explained, laying her head on Sam's shoulder.

"We can meet at my house. My room is big enough for all of us," Valerie offered. Jenny nodded and took a bite of her pizza. She'd met Val and Natalie about three days after she'd met Austin and they had introduced her to Kim, Evan, Shane, and Sam. Much like she had with Austin, she'd instantly clicked with all of them and they'd quickly formed their own group.

"Val's room it is," Shane said, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend. Although the seven of them were only fourteen, Valerie, Natalie, Kim, Shane, Sam, and Evan seemed to content to be with their respective others and Jenny couldn't see any of the three couples breaking up.

"So, I heard that you and Austin were dating," Sam said.

"The next person that says something about me and Austin dating is getting their tongue cut out." Sam winced and offered Jenny a bright smile.

"I'm guessing that's a sore subject."

"It's not a subject because we're not dating. I'm not saying that again."

"Val, what time should we be at your house Saturday?" Natalie asked.

"Is ten good with you guys?" When she received six nods in response, she smiled.

"Ten it is."

* * *

"Mommy!" Carly ran to Haley and wrapped her little arms around her neck.

"Hey, sweet girl. Were you good for Jenny?"

"Yes! We paint. Jenny taught colors." Haley smiled at Jenny as she joined them in the hall. She couldn't believe how great Jenny was with Carly.

"Haley, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah, is something wrong?" Haley asked, putting Carly down.

"No, I just need some advice about something. It's one of those teenage girl things."

"Okay. Carly, will you go in your room and color while Mommy talks to Jenny?"

"Kay."

"Don't paint. Just use your crayons."

"Kay," Carly agreed, walking down the hall toward her room. Haley and Jenny made their way to Jenny's room and sat down on her bed.

"Tell me what's going on."

"There's a rumor going around school that Austin and I are dating."

"Jenny, you know you can't believe rumors. They aren't always true."

"I know and the rumor isn't what bothers me. What bothers me is that Austin might think that I like him as more than a friend."

"Do you?"

"No, but I haven't had a chance to talk to him since our last class and I don't know if he's heard anything about this or not. He didn't say anything about it, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't heard it."

"You need to talk to him."

"I know, but I don't know when I'll be able to. He's got practice every afternoon this weeks and we've both got plans for the weekend. I'd rather not do it at school because it will only give people more to talk about."

"Talk to him after school on Monday. Jenny, you need to do this as soon as possible. If you don't, it could make things really awkward."

"I know and I don't want that, but how do you start a conversation like that with a guy? Especially one that you've only known for three weeks." Haley smiled, she'd never had to deal with a rumor like this while she was in high school, but she had dealt with rumors and it wasn't easy. She still dealt with rumors and it hadn't gotten any easier. It came with the territory of being married to a pro basketball player and Peyton and Brooke had to deal with it too.

"Just tell him that you're not interested in having a boyfriend right now and that you don't feel anything toward him except friendship and hopefully he'll tell you that he feels the same way."

"What if he doesn't?"

"Then you say that you need some time to think and that he should really think about he feels. After a few weeks, you call him and agree on a place to meet so you can talk about where you are in your relationship. If you're lucky, he'll agree that the two of you should be just friends. It might be a little awkward at first, but you'll get things worked out and it'll be almost like it was before."

"You sound like you've been through this before."

"No, I haven't but Peyton and Nathan did. They did fall in love but that doesn't you and Austin will. Everyone's different. When Nathan told Peyton how he felt, she got scared and she lied to herself and Nathan about how she felt. If you and Austin do get together, I don't see the two of you going through that."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

"I wish you could have been my mom." Haley sighed and pulled Jenny into a hug. She'd hoped this wouldn't happen but it had and now they had to deal with it. She hadn't wanted to get too close to Jenny in case she ended up having to live with Madeleine again, but now that she thought about it, getting close to Jenny again was inevitable. Haley still considered Jenny to be her daughter and that would never change.

"I was for a little while. Even when Madeleine left with you, I still thought of you as my daughter." Jenny looked up at Haley, her eyes full of hope, and Haley's heart broke. She knew what was coming but she couldn't stop Jenny from asking.

"Can I be?"

"Jenny, don't do this. I don't want to see you get hurt and that's what's going to happen if you let yourself believe this can happen."

"I'm going to get hurt anyway. I never thought I would get so close to Jake so fast, but I did and I got close to you and Carly too. I know that we still have to deal with my mom but I don't want it to change my relationships with everyone here."

"It won't. Not if you don't let it. Madeleine doesn't have to ruin everything you have here. I know it seems impossible, but it's not. The life you have here is yours. Not hers, not anyone else's. It's yours and no one can take that away from you."

"I wish that was true but I know it's not. If Madeleine wins when we go to court I won't have this life anymore." Haley didn't question how Jenny knew that they would go to court. Now that she and Jake had Jenny back, they were going to fight like hell to keep her. They weren't going to let her get away again.

"They can't take away what you already have, that will always be yours no matter what."

"I'm glad because I don't want to forget anything about living here." Haley smiled as they both away their tears.

"That's enough crying for one day. What do you think about having a girls night out? Just me, you, and Carly."

"I like it."

"I thought you would. Okay, you go get ready and I'll get Carly and myself ready then we'll meet downstairs in an hour and a half."

"What about Jake?"

"Jake can fend for himself for one night but we'll leave a note before we go."

* * *

"Hey, Jenny, can I talk to you?" Austin asked as they met Thursday afternoon.

"Yeah, sure. What's up?"

"Actually, this was something I was hoping we could do without the entire school around. You help Ms. Briley during this period, right?"

"Yeah, but I can tell her that I have to help someone study for a test and we can go out to the courtyard."

"Great. I'll meet you there."

"Wait, don't you have practice?"

"It was cancelled today." Jenny nodded and turned to head up the stairs. She had an idea of what Austin wanted to talk about she just hoped he didn't want to take their friendship any farther.

Ten minutes later Jenny and Austin were sitting in the courtyard. "So, I'm guessing that we've both heard about the rumor that we're dating," she said. She was hoping that if she opened the conversation he would take it from there because she had no idea what to say.

"Yeah. That's why I wanted to talk. I care about you but my feelings don't go beyond friendship. I know I probably shouldn't have just said it like that but I didn't know how else to do it." Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. She was so glad he only saw her as a friend. While she would have taken Haley's advice if she'd had too she wouldn't have liked doing it.

"That makes me feel a lot better. I was going to wait until Monday to talk about this but now I'm glad we didn't. Waiting to find out how you really felt was killing me and I'm not sure I could have waited much longer."

"So am I. It took me this long to figure out what to say and I still wasn't sure how it would sound. I really wasn't looking forward to this conversation and I was kind of hoping you would say something first but when you didn't I decided to go ahead and get it over with because waiting was killing me."

"You aren't the only one. By the way, what you said sounded fine."

"Good because the last thing I want to do is hurt your feelings." Jenny smiled and laid her head on Austin's shoulder.

"You never have to worry about that. As long as you're always honest with me you never have to worry about that."

"I'll always be honest with you. You know that. Me and a couple of guys from the team are going to the batting cages this weekend do you want to come with us?"

"I've already made plans. I'm spending Saturday at Val's with the rest of our group and then Sunday me, Val, Kim, and Natalie are going shopping. Maybe next time."

"What are you guys doing Saturday?"

"I'm telling them why I moved here. They want to know and they deserve to know. They are my best friends."

"I was wondering when you were going to tell them. Just out of curiosity, have you talked to Michael Summers lately?" Jenny lifted her head and glared at him playfully.

"You talked to Kim, didn't you?"

"Yes, but Michael talked to me during practice Tuesday and told me that he likes you. I know you don't want to go out with anyone right now, but one date isn't going to change anything. Besides, it could prevent anymore rumors about the two of us dating."

"Okay, I'll go out with him if he asks me but I'm not agreeing to anything long term."

"You don't have to, but think about this. If you do go out with him then you won't have Kim, Natalie, and Valerie bugging you about it."

"That's very true. I knew there was a reason I liked you." Austin smiled and tickled her causing her to burst into giggles.

* * *

"Hey, Jenny, how was school?" Jake asked as his daughter joined him in the gym.

"It was good. Austin and I got everything straightened out."

"Haley told me about that." Jenny smiled and sat down on the bench press.

"Did she tell you what we talked about after that?"

"No, she told me that wasn't all you two talked about but she wouldn't tell me anything else. She said it was between you and her."

"I've never been able to do that before."

"Do what?"

"Talk to someone like I did yesterday. Not only that, I've never been able to talk to someone and know that they won't tell anyone else if I don't want them to. It's nice." Jake smiled as he continued to run on the treadmill. He could tell Jenny was building up to something but he wasn't going to push her.

"You know Haley and I aren't the only ones you can talk to."

"I know. I still believe how great everyone's been about me being here."

"Well, you should. They all love you, Jenny."

"That's why I wanted to talk to you. I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I want to stay in Charleston." Jake looked at his daughter in surprise as he slowed to a walk. He hadn't been expecting that. Jenny had said she wanted to stay until they heard from Madeleine but she'd never said anything about after that.

"Jenny, are you sure?"

"Yes. I like it here. I like living with you and Haley. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a family and I don't want to lose it."

"This is what you really want?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Looks like we're going to court."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Haley and I don't want to lose you again. We'll wait until we hear from Madeleine to start the case but we're going to fight for you, Jenny. I promise you that." He stepped off the treadmill and Jenny ran into his arms.

"I love you, Jake." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her as he kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too, baby girl."

* * *

Next week on Can't Go Back:

ONE PHONE CALL...

"Hello?"

"You're coming home. Now." Jenny rolled her eyes as soon as she heard the voice.

THREATENS EVERYTHING...

"What are you going to do?" Brooke asked. Haley ran a hand through her hair as she sat down.

"We don't have a choice. Jenny has to go back."


End file.
